Skipping over a small bit where Zhi Wei tells her people to go find Gu Nan Yi and be careful of Kelie.
Sitting by Zhi Wei, Helian continues to steal several glances at her. Zhi Wei smiles and turns to look at him “What?’
Helian was silent for a long moment as his eyelashes blanketed his sparkling eyes. He naturally has a belly full of questions he wants to ask. For example, how did Da Ma die? Or the fact that Da Ma’s last hand gesture looked a bit twisted… However, before the words came out, he swallowed them again.
What need is there to ask? She is on his side, he believes.
Her eyes are shrouded in a cloudy fog. No one can tell what her real thoughts are, yet behind the cloudy fog, he knows there is grassland that belongs to him.
Even if she walks in the rain of blood, manipulates her worlds like a chessboard with unmatched brilliance, yet he only wants to remain that foolish man and not probe the chilling truth behind the surface.
To like her, grant her wish, whatever she will, in this vast space of heaven and earth.
- The search for the next saint is on. The monks bring the holy instruments and go to the back palace to meet the two babies. Everyone was overjoyed at first when Chamutu crawled over and picked up Da Ma’s beads but that joy was soon turned to disappointment when he dropped the beads on his toes and wanted nothing more to do with it. Quite unwilling to consider the possibility that Baby Zhi Xiao could be the new saint, the monks tried to offer the holy instruments to Chamutu again but finally gave up when it became obvious that Chamutu had become antagonistic towards it.
- The disappointed monks turned to leave but Baby Zhi Xiao leaned her body forward to try to get to the holy instruments. The senior monk lays a holy instrument by Zhi Xiao who promptly wraps her arms around it and lays her cheek against it.
The lead monk gives a loud chant, prompting a unison of chanting to follow. Everyone in the room bows down to the ground.
Gu Zhi Xiao giggles, gleeful of the familiar scent on the Buddah beads, completely unaware that the single action from her had decided the fate of the grassland’s next ten years.
Standing in the shadows a ways away, a serene and knowing smile appeared on Feng Zhi Wei’s face. However, that smile, no matter how one looks at it…it doesn’t look like the benevolent sort.
The eighteenth saint, is born.
- Turns out, Zong Chen had made a scent that smells like walnuts. Zhi Wei had them switch out the holy instruments and put the scent inside them. As a side note, Zhi Wei actually had Zong Chen make the scent previously because baby Zhi Xiao can usually cause a big ruckus whenever Gu Nan Yi is not around, so they were using the scent to calm her down. Baby Zhi Xiao has an extra sensitive nose ever since they found her so that’s why Zhi Wei knew the baby would be able to smell the walnut scent on the holy instruments.
By the time Gu Nan Yi is back from chasing after Kelie, his Gu Zhi Xiao has a brand new identity.
Gu Nan Yi stoically listened to Zhi Wei’s long explanation of how the next saint was chosen. When Zhi Wei finally finished explaining, Gu Nan Yi’s reply cuts right to the chase “Got sold.”
Zhi Wei blinks and silently wonders who said Master Gu is slow? This is the definition of astute.
Nestled in Gu Nan Yi’s arms, the clueless Gu Zhi Xiao is still using the holy instrument as a toy and sniffing it. Grasping Da Ma’s Buddha beads in one of her hands, Gu Zhi Xiao mercilessly twists it this way and that way. If the head monk had seen what Gu Zhi Xiao is doing now, then her “spirit child” charade would’ve been unmasked.
According to tradition, Gu Zhi Xiao should’ve been immediately sent to the holy monastery but Helian intervened when Gu Zhi Xiao sobbed uncontrollably as the senior monk attempted to take her away. Telling the monks that the “holy child” is still too young, Helian convinced the monks to let Gu Zhi Xiao stay at the palace for the time being.
The crowning ceremony never did finish. Between the poison, the Saint’s death and the fact the holy child is still young, Helian finally just jumped onto the platform, laughed and said “Helian’s throne was given by heaven, my heart has its own lumination that shines on my path.” before putting the crown on his own head then jumping down to go talk to his men regarding the matter of the rebellion army.
Before he turned, he gave Feng Zhi Wei a long lingering look but in the end, he left without saying anything.
Zhi Wei thought about the expression in Helian’s eyes and silently sighed in her heart. This man is smart yet he is letting her turn his wild grassland upside down and has given her the kind of trust that would be difficult for most people to give.
This is a man with a heart bigger than heaven and earth. You are weak, then he will love you and protect you will everything. You are strong, then he will do everything to help you accomplish your desires.
- Zhi Wei confirmed with Master Gu that Kelie had escaped because Zong Cheng had chased him down and stopped him from following Kelie in fears that Kelie might have some witch trickery waiting. Zhi Wei also found out that it wasn’t Kelie who took Nata, but it was her father Hong Jile. Confident by now that Hong Jile would’ve figured out he had been a pawn in Kelie’s hand all along, Zhi Wei is satisfied to let Hong Jile and Kelie duke it out.
While Zhi Wei and Zong Cheng are talking on one side, on the other side Gu Zhi Xiao throws herself on Gu Nan Yi and stuffs the Buddha beads into her daddy’s hand. Master Gu of course is not willing to accept someone else’s dirty stuff so he immediately tosses Zhi Xiao’s gift…which promptly causes her to gaze at her daddy tearfully.
Unmoved, her dad continues to eat his walnuts. Having long been curious about the mysterious food called walnut, Zhi Xiao once again begs her daddy for it and was rewarded with a walnut shell…
Still determined, Baby Gu grabs the Buddha beads, stuffs it into Zhi Wei’s hand then pushes her hand towards Gu Nan Yi. Holding back a laugh, Zhi Wei allows Gu Zhi Xiao to push her hand over. Gu Nan Yi hesitates for a moment before using the tips of his fingers to pick up the Buddha beads with an expression of “I really dislike this thing but I will hold it for a moment for you”.
Watching the whole thing with a smile, Zong Cheng’s eyes sparkled behind his wooden mask. After a moment, Zong Cheng says “Nan Yi treats you, very differently. Even Zhi Xiao could feel that.”
Zhi Wei stiffens and pulls back her finger before replying with a smile “Perhaps it’s because I am more gentle looking.”
Zong Cheng smiles and shakes his head “I count as someone who’s watched him grow up. Even towards those who have spent a decade with him, he would not necessarily be willing to get close to them.”
Zhi Wei was silent for a moment before she tried to change the subject “Zhi Xiao is already a year old, why isn’t she talking yet?”
“A person who spent their own life in innocence could be seen in some way as a sort of luck. What one fears the most would be to have that door open but then to be rejected.” Unwilling to let her avoid the matter, Zong Cheng stubbornly turns the subject back around.
Zhi Wei lowers her eyes to stare at her fingers. These hands, if they insist on pulling open that person’s quiet and enclosed world, would it be pulling open for him a dazzling colorful new life, or would it just be another sort of pain and suffering?
Gu Nan Yi sits serenely with Gu Zhi Xiao on his knees, behind the white veil one could almost see his star sparkling like eyes and the faint moon like curve at the corner of his lips.
This tranquility and beauty, even the usually indifferent Zong Cheng couldn’t help himself and wanted to try to protect.
Feng Zhi Wei straightens her body and moves slightly back. Sitting by her side, Gu Nan Yi immediately looks over at her and scoots very naturally closer to her.
Feng Zhi Wei’s back stiffens and stops moving. A faint small sigh could be heard from Zong Cheng as he silently backed out of the room.
The sound of the door opening was sharp, somehow piercing, making one’s heart tighten…
In the somewhat awkward silence, an abrupt sharp high pitched noise could be heard.
“I won’t leave…….I won’t leave…….even if I die I will die here……..”
It was Mei Duo’s voice.
Zhi Wei let out a breath of relief and stood up quickly to walk out of the room.
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com
There was a comment last week about Zhi Wei being ruthless in her dealing with the Saint and I totally agree with that. However, there was something that occurred to me as I had to read those scenes over and over for translation purposes: Our heroine is very angry at Saint Da Ma and that means he was doomed before he even showed up in front of her. The knowledge of what Peony had been doing shocked Zhi Wei but I wonder if it also reminded her of Madam Qiu. At this point, Zhi Wei’s feelings towards her mother must be extremely conflicted. Madam Qiu is obviously someone Zhi Wei loves and respect very much but as smart as our heroine is, she must know very clearly that her brother’s and Madam Qiu’s death were all carefully planned by Madam Qiu herself as a way to force her onto a path that she neither wanted nor desired. A mother who is willing to kill her own child in order to force her other child to accept something in the name of “greater good” or some greater “calling”, sounds familiar? I wonder if Zhi Wei saw Madam Qiu in Peony. In fact, her heart might break even more for Peony because at least Peony is willing to let Zhi Wei see her anguish over her children’s death. So what is our heroine to do with all this pent up anger? Well, Saint Da Ma, the one who has lived his whole life able to dictate how everyone should live and die, makes the perfect target. By the way, what Saint Da Ma said publicly about Zhi Wei being a She-Wolf, if our heroine wasn’t who she is and Helian is not the man he is, then the only thing waiting for Zhi Wei would’ve been a quiet death a short time later. If Helian’s new queen was anyone else other than Zhi Wei, then his new queen would’ve been despised by all and an “unfortunate sickness” due to her inability to adjust to the wild grassland would’ve been the best way to dispose of the unlucky new queen.
Anyhow, as someone pointed out, the novel Zhi Wei is definitely not the poor lost soul the drama made her into towards the end. Neither of our leads are really what you would consider “good” people in the traditional sense.
The other thing I wanted to discuss is how I see Master Gu. To me Master Gu represents the perfect guy who could give Zhi Wei the peaceful life she wanted. Poor Helian really was never in the running because he is neither Ning Yi who has our heroine’s heart nor is he Gu Nan Yi who can offer Zhi Wei a life she dreams of. Setting aside Ning Yi’s happiness for a moment, I wonder if some of us would be tempted to tell our heroine to just forget everything and go settle somewhere nice with Gu Nan Yi and baby Zhi Xiao. I think there is no doubt that Zhi Wei loves Master Gu and could live a happy life with him even if that love is not necessarily a romantic love. Do you choose the handsome prince who makes your heart beat wildly but you can’t trust him and he has a track record of hurting you. OR do you choose the super handsome fighting machine who only has eyes for you and will never betray you?
Thank you so much, Ninja. Beautiful translation, as always 🙂
Thank you for that end note. The more I read your translations, the more I prefer this Zhi Wei to the one I saw in the drama. She is much harder, but I feel more respect for her strength and unwavering desire to survive at all costs.
Thank you, Ninja. You are awesome. Yes the translation is beautiful but your insight is even better. Yes I think FZW is ruthless in dealing with the Saint but he deserves it. He meant for blood and consequently her life even before he saw her. It is totally justifiable in my view but I didn’t see the parallel between Peony and Madame Qiu. Thank you for that insight.
I love love Master Gu. I wish with all my heart that she would choose Master Gu but I know better. If Ning Yi is her heart, then Nan Yi is her backbone. She would not make it this far without him. Gu Nan Yi is beautiful and good inside and outside. And as your translation stated, who say that he is slow? I believe likes you, that FZW would be happy, and have a peaceful life with him.
But what about Helian? What an awesome man? He would make a great lover and husband, too?
What is it with C-drama that often tortures the second and third male lead? I love and ship Ning Yi too but it is more difficult and surreal when I think about Gu Nan Yi and Helian. They love no less but receive little. In a way, they are even more noble than Ning Yi, don’t you think?
“Neither of our leads are really what you would consider “good” people in the traditional sense.” Perhaps we love them because they are human, likes us after all.
Haha, I think the novel Ning Yi would be stunned that anyone would consider him noble. I do think that Helian and Gu Nan Yi’s love for our heroine is quite selfless and extremely giving when compared to Ning Yi’s love. BUT, don’t make a rush judgment regarding our hero against his competitors just yet. There is a big part that is coming up later (the drama completely left it out of course) that really shows the depth of Ning Yi’s love for Zhi Wei so I am curious what you guys would think about the three men then.
The anticipation!!! Oh so exciting.
Love your end notes. Gives you a different perspective.
Zhi Wei needs someone more verbal to keep her company. Today’s translation shows that Master Gu is smart, but she needs someone who expresses their cleverness more often. I don’t think she could be happy with Master Gu. If Helian was more crafty and she didn’t feel sorry for him so often, then maybe he would have a shot.
LOL. Perhaps you are right but if Master Gu is more verbal then he would not be Gu Nan Yi anymore. Why is it that Helian is not crafty enough?
Only one answer for me: Ning Yi, all the way!
Who wants a quiet and peaceful life? too boring for FZW.
haha reading these comments is so refreshing ——thank you @ninjareflection for the wonderful translation and your indepth commentary ! l honestly think that after it all on a mental level Ningyi is Zhiwei’s match —— our pure Nanyi and noble Helian may love Zhiwei unconditionally and stand beside her irregardless of how “cruel” or cold hearted her actions may be but Ningyi is the only one who can stand beside her and laugh at her for being a “cold black hearted ” miss yet deep down he knows better than anyone how it hurts to be that way because he himself graduated _with extraordinarily top marks too_ from that school .l always feel like if Zhiwei allowed herself to get drunk while she thought of how painfuly she wants to be free and stop smilling even when shes in pain ——the first person her uncontrolled mind would seek out is Ningyi …..Gu nanyi would comfort her and Helian would threaten to kill to make her tears disappear until she laughed but Ningyi would grab her bottle of wine , take a sip and tell her to let it rip….
Basically Ningyi understands the fundamentals of her pain ╮（╯＿╰）╭